


Everything is Going to be Fine

by InssneBi



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Nell Angst, Nell gets to live tho, kinda???, she deserves it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:54:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InssneBi/pseuds/InssneBi
Summary: Before going into the house, Nell tries calling Shirley. Just one more time.Shirley picks up.
Relationships: Eleanor "Nell" Crain & Shirley Crain, Eleanor "Nell" Crain & Theodora "Theo" Crain, Shirley Crain & Theodora "Theo" Crain
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Everything is Going to be Fine

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this so quickly so I would like to preface this with an apology for how poorly written it is.

Shirley woke up to her phone vibrating by her bed. She half-expected herself to ignore it but a voice from somewhere in the back of told her- pleaded with her- to pick it up.

“Hmm..” she slurred into the phone.

“Shirley?” came the voice on the other end. Weak, broken, but most of all scared. Shirley shot up, already grabbing a hoodie from the floor and speeding out of her bedroom.

“Nell?” she questioned “Nellie what’s wrong?”

“You remember the Bent Neck Lady?”

Shirley paused, sighing as she thought back to sleepless nights holding her sister tight as she sobbed into her neck mumbling incoherently about a woman with a bent neck. She was only brought back to the present when she heard that sister sniffle softly. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong.

“Yeah I- I remember,” Shirly breathed “I remember her.”

Nell paused for a moment. Shirley briefly held out hope that maybe it was just Nell being curious. Maybe she just wanted to see if she had ever really dreamt it or if it was just a memory that her brain had pieced together as she got older.

“She’s back.”

_ Fuck.  _ Of course it wasn’t just an innocent question. Nothing could be that simple with the Crains. Not with Nell. Especially not with Nell. Poor Nellie who just wanted to get better, who thought that things would get better after she married Arthur, who struggled just to do basic tasks and had gotten worse than anyone had ever seen her when he died. Why couldn’t life ease up on them for one second. Ease up on Nell for a moment.

“Shirl?” Nell breathed, “I’m scared.”  
“Nell where are you?”

“Home..” her voice sounded like she had moved the phone from her face.

“Bullshit, Eleanor.”

“Mom says it's time to come home.”

_ No no no no no. _

“Mommy wants me home.”

“Nell listen to me.” Shirley pleaded, “I want you to get away from there right now. Do you remember the motel we stayed at that night? I want you to go there, ok?”

“I can’t…” Nell’s voice started fading.

“Eleanor I swear to god-” the call ended. “FUCK!” Shirley exclaimed, kicking the wall as she grabbed her keys and another jacket before racing out the door.

* * *

As Shirley sped down the highway she kept calling Nell. She called and called and called as she tried to ignore the possibility that it was too late.  _ No.  _ She would not be letting her baby sister get hurt if she had any say in the matter.

When her phone began vibrating she almost crashed the car as she scrambled to pick it up.

“Nell?!” she choked out. Had she been crying? It didn’t matter.

“No… It’s Theo?” came the confused voice on the other end. “Where the fuck are you? I heard you speed off and Kevin said he has no clue where you would have-”  
“It’s Nell.”

Theo paused. “What? Did she buy Luke more fucking heroin and need some reassurance from perfect fucking Shirl-”  
“She’s at Hill House.”

“Um… No, she isn’t.” Theo retorted, “She isn’t… She wouldn’t.”

“She would and she fucking  _ is _ .”

“How do you even know?”

“She called me, Theo.” Shirley sighed. “She said that the Bent Neck Lady is back and… I’m not sure but I think… I think she’s about to hurt herself.” if she wasn’t crying before, she was definitely crying now.

Theo didn’t know what to say. This couldn’t be happening. It  _ could not  _ be happening. Nell wouldn’t. But wouldn’t she? Theo had seen her after Arthur died. She looked like she had lost herself along with him, and maybe she had. She wouldn’t even speak or take care of herself at first if her siblings hadn’t intervened.  _ Shit.  _ This was real. Nellie was about to kill herself, wasn’t she?

“I’m driving over there. Right now.” Theo finally announced.

“No.” Shirley shut down the thought before Theo could even fully think it.

“Yes, I am. This is my sister we’re talking about.”  
“Theo stay where you are. I’m less than ten minutes from the house and I would prefer to get her out of there as soon as possible, without waiting for you.” she almost said _if_ she got her out but quickly thought better of it. Nell was getting out of this alive whether she liked it or not.

Theo sighed, knowing that there was no arguing. “Ok. I’ll stay.”  
“Thank you, Theo.”

“Please be careful. I don’t want to lose one sister, let alone two.”

“I’ll be as safe as I can be. I promise.” Shirley said as she pulled up to the decaying building that Hill House had become. “I love you Theo.” she choked out, hanging up before she could get a response.

“You’ve got this Shirl. Go in. For Nellie.” she tried to reassure herself, which she found out wasn’t needed when she saw Nell’s empty car sitting there in front of her. That was all she needed to be sprinting out of her own car and up the steps, only pausing momentarily on the porch before pushing open the slightly ajar door.

* * *

“Nellie?” Shirley yelled as she walked in the front entrance “Nellie where are you? I’m here just please tell me-” 

She was cut off by the sound of something…  _ someone…  _ hitting metal.

_ The staircase. The spiral staircase that her mother had jumped off 26 years ago on the worst night… second worst night of her life. The spiral staircase with the ropes perfect for bodies swinging back and forth. No. _

Without a second thought she began running to the library hoping, praying that she wasn’t too late.

“Nellie I’m here!” she cried out as she looked up. Nellie was there. Standing at the top of the stairs on the wrong side of the banister with a noose around her neck. The most disturbing part of this scene wasn’t even Nell, about to die, it was that she was pleading with her mother. Legs shaking and voice smaller than a mouse as she pleaded  _ “Mommy please…” _ No… their mother was dead. She died 26 years ago. But she was here and Shirley would be damned if she let her kill her baby sister like she had killed herself.

“Nellie I’m Coming!” Shirley shouted as she began to run up the staircase. She couldn't even bring herself to care as she hit and bruised her shins like the house was working against her. She risked a glance at Nellie who showed no signs of even registering Shirley’s presence.  _ Shit  _ she cursed as she ran faster, working harder and harder against the house's resistance until she was standing on the landing. 

Time felt like it moved in slow motion as she ran to Nell, pushing her mother away and gasping at how solid she felt. She reached her arms out and wrapped them around Nellie’s waist, keeping her firmly planted on the landing.

Nell blinked, eyes glossed over. “Shirley?” she asked miserably.

“It's me. I’m here.” Shirley reassured her. “Come on, let’s get you to safety.”

Shirley grunted as she pulled Nell over the banister. It wasn’t that Nell was heavy, she was frighteningly light, but it felt like the house was actively pulling Nell down.  _ It wants her,  _ she thought.

As soon as Nell was over the banister Shirley was pulling her to her chest and taking the rope away from her neck. She tried pulling back a little to check for injuries on her little sister but as soon as her arms left Nell’s waist, Nell began to lose her balance. Shirley quickly grabbed her and pulled her in again, choosing to stroke her head and back as the two of them cried softly.

“I didn’t want to do it.” Nell finally spoke up. “It was mommy. Mommy told me to wake up. She said it would make it better and I believed her because Arthur was there and Luke was there clean and you, Theo, and Steve were there together with dad and-”

“Shh,” Shirley hushed her, “I know. It's ok. You're ok now so let’s get you out of here, ok?” she didn’t even wait for an answer before she began dragging Nellie out of the house. Nellie shivered as they stepped out onto the porch and that's when Shirly realised that she was as cold as ice.

“I have a jacket in the car.” 

The two sisters hurried to the car as the wind began to pick up around them. As soon as they reached Shirley’s car Shirley wasted no time in helping Nellie into the passenger seat and helping her get her shaky arms through the sleeves of the jacket. It swamped Nell’s small frame but at least she looked warm. She couldn’t help but look down at her younger sister who was curling in on herself.  _ At least she’s safe now  _ Shirl thought.

As if suddenly remembering that she actually had to get Nellie to true safety away from the house, she shut the passenger door and scrambled into the driver’s seat to get Nell the fuck out of there.

* * *

Theo and Kevin were already waiting on the porch for them as Shirley pulled up to the house. She barely even had time to park the car before they came running to them, Theo to Nell and Kevin to his wife. Kevin pulled her out and squeezed her so tightly that she thought her eyes might bulge out of their sockets.

“I was so worried, Hon.” he whispered to her ear.

“I know, I’m sorry,” she whispered back, glancing over at Theo who had pulled Nell into her arms, “but I’m ok. Nell is too.”

He nodded and pulled her back into another hug. Only sparing a small glance at Nell and Theo.

* * *

As soon as Theo saw Shirl’s car pull up she sprang up and ran to the passenger seat where she was met with the sight of Nell, curled in on herself and shivering in one of Shirley’s jackets, but alive. Very much alive.

She didn’t waste any more time before opening the door and pulling Nellie into her arms, painfully aware of how easy it was.

“Nellie I’m sorry I…” she began as she choked on her own tears and spit and snot, “I’m so, so sorry. I never should have brushed you off like I did. I should have been there for you when you were grieving.” she leaned her head down into Nell’s.

“It’s my fault.” Nell sheepishly spoke, grabbing onto Theo like she was the only thing grounding her. Theo hid her shock as Nellie’s hand touched her own bare skin and she was filled with all the hurt, fear, and regret that Nell never stopped feeling. Nellie didn’t need to think she was hurting anyone any more than she already thought. “I never should have forced you to… Into my own grief… It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

Theo could only hold her as she sobbed, reassuring her that it wasn’t her fault. How could she ever have blamed Nell. Poor Nell who was only trying to grieve and make sense of all the pain and loss and emptiness she had experienced. It was never her fault, and Theo could see it now.

Nell shivered as a gust of wind cut through the cold morning.

“Let’s get inside, yeah?” Theo said, not waiting for an answer as she helped her poor little sister up the steps and into the warmth of Shirley’s house, quickly followed by Kevin and Shirley herself.

* * *

Later that night, as Kevin took Allie and Jayden out to eat to give the three sisters some “girl time”, Theo and Shirley couldn’t help but feel relieved. Relieved that as they sat around the coffee table in Shirley’s living room, Nell was still with them. Picking at her food with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, she was still there.

And in the morning, Luke and Steve would be there with them, their father later in the day. Hugh and Steve would drive back to the house to get Nell’s car, and they would immediately hurry back to Shirley’s. Nobody knew what the next step after that was, but at least for now, everything was going to be fine. They were sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> That was nice (maybe). I might make a quick follow up of just some family bonding/fixing their relationship. Would anyone want that? Probably not idk.


End file.
